Kerala Dalit student rape: Don’t interfere with SIT probe says HC

The Kerala high court on Friday observed that no interference is warranted at this stage in the probe by state police’s Special Investigation Team into the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman, and adjourned till May 30 a PIL seeking CBI investigation.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing a BJP election meeting in Kollam district, said the Centre is ready to conduct a CBI probe into the incident.(Shutterstock)

The Kerala high court on Friday observed that no interference is warranted at this stage in the probe by state police’s Special Investigation Team into the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman, and adjourned till May 30 a PIL seeking CBI investigation.

Considering a PIL filed by Advocate T B Mini, a vacation bench, comprising Justices A M Shaffique and K Ramakrishnan, also observed that the investigators cannot be guided by media reports.

Appearing for the state government, Director General of Prosecutions informed the court that the investigation into the rape and murder of the law student is in progress and is at a crucial stage.

He also said details about the progress made in the SIT investigation can be submitted before the court in a sealed cover.

Following this, the court adjourned the PIL to May 30.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing a BJP election meeting in Kollam district, said the Centre is ready to conduct a CBI probe into the incident. “CBI probe should be held into the murder. As the country’s Home Minister, I assure you that as soon as we get a recommendation (in this regard) from the state government, we are prepared to conduct a CBI probe,” said Singh, who began electioneering for the May 16 Assembly polls in Kerala.

The Home Minister said the guilty will be brought to book.

The 30-year-old woman, who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28.